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DRACHMA

 - 4 dictionary results

drach⋅ma

  [drak-muh, drahk-]
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–noun, plural -mas, -mae  [-mee] .
1. a cupronickel coin and monetary unit of modern Greece, equal to 100 lepta. Abbreviation: dr., drch.
2. the principal silver coin of ancient Greece.
3. a small unit of weight in ancient Greece, approximately equivalent to the U.S. and British apothecaries' dram.
4. any of various modern weights, esp. a dram.
Also, drachm.

Origin:
1520–30; < L < Gk drachm, prob. equiv. to drach- base of drássesthai to grasp + -mē n. suffix (hence lit., handful)

Related forms:
drachmal, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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drach·ma   (drāk'mə)   
n.   pl. drach·mas or drach·mae (-mē)

  1. The primary unit of currency in Greece before the adoption of the euro.

  2. An ancient Greek silver coin.

  3. One of several modern units of weight, especially the dram.


[Latin, from Greek drakhmē, from drassesthai, drakh-, to grasp.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

drachma 
1579, from Gk. drakhme, an Attic coin and weight, probably originally "a handful" (see dram).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Encyclopedia

drachma

silver coin of ancient Greece, dating from about the mid-6th century BC, and the former monetary unit of modern Greece. The drachma was one of the world's earliest coins. Its name derives from the Greek verb meaning "to grasp," and its original value was equivalent to that of a handful of arrows. The early drachma had different weights in different regions. From the 5th century BC, Athens gained commercial preeminence, and the Athenian drachma became the foremost currency. One drachma equaled 6 oboli; 100 drachmas equaled 1 mine; and 60 mine equaled 1 Attic talent.

Learn more about drachma with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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